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Reconciliation

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confession times
Confessions are scheduled:
- every Saturday starting at 9:00AM and 4:00PM except for Statutory Holidays.
- First Fridays at 6:15pm before 7:00 PM mass
By appointment. Please call the office at (905) 294-5955.

To help you prepare for your confession, pray with this examination of conscience:

Examination of Conscience

What is Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the seven sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church. Catholics believe that all of the sacraments were instituted by Jesus Christ himself. In the case of Reconciliation, that institution occurred on Easter Sunday, when Christ first appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection. Breathing on them, he said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).

How It Works?
By this beautiful Sacrament God gives all sinful members of His Church, "a direct, human, and personal encounter with the mercy of God" as found in the Gospel. [1] (CCC:1446)

In this encounter "God, the Father of mercies" pardons His faithful for post-baptism sins that they confessed to the bishop or his priests. (CCC: 1448-1449).

In the liturgical actions of this sacrament, especially in the formula of absolution, Jesus Christ reaches out to us in the depth of our soul and mind to lift us to our feet, and restores us to be more perfectly what we are: His saints, the reconciled children of God. He does so "to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship Him without fear, holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our life" (Luke 1.73).[2]

How to Prepare?
A valuable exercise to ready ourselves to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation is to examine our conscience. As you reflect on the things you have or have not done, know God's mercy and love are waiting for you in Confession.

What Is Required?
Three things are required of a penitent in order to receive the sacrament worthily:
1. He/she must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for his sins.
2. He/she must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. He/she must be willing to do penance and make amends for his sins.
What to Expect during the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Upon sitting or kneeliing before the priest, make a sign of the cross and state the last time you went for confession. For example, as you make the sign of the cross say, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _______ [weeks, months, years] ago."

The priest may respond with reading a scripture verse. If not, start by confessing your sins. Do not be afraid. It is good to begin with the one(s) that is most difficult to say.

After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."

Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. A penance is an act you freely do in sorrow for the sins committed. Your penance may be prayer or an act of reparation or kindness.

The priest will then ask you to make an Act of Contrition. This is a prayer that we pray before the priest. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:

The priest will then lay his hands over you and absolve you of your sins by saying, " “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”, As he does so, you can make the sign of the cross and respond, "Amen"

Go joyfully, making your penance, and trusting that you are reconciled with God.
Resolve to go to confession often, to strengthen your resolve before sin and grow in holiness.

The Reconciliation is confidential.

[1] Thomas Cardinal Collins, Cornerstones of Faith. Reconciliation, Eucharist and Stewardship (Toronto, Canada: Novalis, 2013), p. 14.
[2] Cf. the Canticle of Zechariah, adopted by the Liturgy of the Hours.

Adapted from Richert, Scott P. "The Sacrament of Confession." Learn Religions, Feb. 11, 2020, learnreligions.com/the-sacrament-of-confession-542139.

St. Patrick's Parish

Markham, Ontario

Reconciliation

confession times

What is Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)?

How It Works?

How to Prepare?

What Is Required?

What to Expect during the Sacrament of Reconciliation?